ATHENS- A United Airlines (UA) flight travelling from Athens to Newark Liberty International Airport (EWR), serving the New York metropolitan area, made an unscheduled landing at Athens International Airport (ATH) on November 9, 2026, after an unusual odour was reported inside the cabin. The Boeing 787-9 Dreamliner was operating Flight UA168 from Tel Aviv’s Ben Gurion Airport (TLV) to Newark when the crew decided to divert the aircraft.
The aircraft landed safely in Greece, bringing the journey to an unexpected stop for 230 passengers and 13 crew members. United Airlines confirmed that everyone disembarked normally and said it was arranging a replacement aircraft to transport passengers to their intended destination in the United States.
United’s 787 Dreamliner Diverts
Flight UA168 departed Tel Aviv for Newark on November 9 and was scheduled to operate a long-haul transatlantic journey. However, the aircraft changed course over the Mediterranean after an unusual smell was detected in the passenger cabin.
Flight-tracking information showed the aircraft altering its planned trajectory towards Athens. It also made a looping manoeuvre before continuing towards Athens International Airport, where it completed the diversion.
United Airlines confirmed the incident in a statement provided to the media. The carrier said the aircraft landed safely in Athens so that the crew could address the unusual odour reported inside the cabin.
The airline did not disclose the precise nature or origin of the smell. It also did not confirm whether the incident involved an aircraft system malfunction or another technical issue.
230 Passengers Were Affected by Diversion
The diversion disrupted the travel plans of 230 passengers who were travelling from Israel to the New York area. The aircraft also carried 13 crew members, bringing the total number of people on board to 243.
United Airlines said passengers left the aircraft normally after it reached Athens. The carrier subsequently began arranging another aircraft to complete the journey to Newark.
The replacement aircraft arrangement was necessary because the original flight could not continue its scheduled journey following the diversion. However, the airline had not provided a confirmed departure time for the onward service in its initial statement.
The source of the odour also remained unknown following the landing. No confirmed details were available about the technical findings or whether the aircraft would require maintenance before returning to service.
European Flights Disrupted
The United Airlines diversion came amid a separate wave of hoax bomb threats that had disrupted commercial aviation across Europe during the preceding week.
Several flights faced operational disruption after receiving threats, prompting diversions, precautionary measures and additional security responses at airports. On Tuesday, seven flights across Europe were reportedly targeted, including two that had departed from the United Kingdom.
The disruption increased on Thursday, when bogus b*mb threats reportedly affected at least 27 flights across the continent. Several aircraft also received fighter-jet escorts as authorities responded to the security warnings.
Friday brought further disruption involving flights connected to countries including the United Kingdom, Ireland, Denmark, Spain, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Italy and Romania. Prague Airport also reported multiple threats involving aircraft travelling to and from the facility.
However, there is no indication that the United Airlines diversion was connected to these security incidents. The carrier specifically identified an unusual cabin odour as the reason for the diversion.
The immediate priority remains arranging onward transportation for the 230 passengers stranded in Athens while the circumstances surrounding the cabin odour remain unclear.
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